


The Other Three

by WhistlingBanshee



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Animagus, Because I wrote some things, Drabbles, Gen, Growing Up, Hurt, I Do, If you have requests?, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), No Plot/Plotless, No Smut, Oh wait, Werewolf, Werewolf Transformations, What happens to the other 3 on a full moon?, let me know!, transformations, what do they do?, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26164390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhistlingBanshee/pseuds/WhistlingBanshee
Summary: “This is the 3rd time he’s been sick this year,” Sirius muttered, looking at the empty bed next to his own.The other two Marauders glanced up at him, their eyes flicking to Remus's bed. It was late, they should have been asleep hours ago, but there was an anxiety in the air, it tickled the back of their necks and chewed at their lips making sleep impossible. So the fact that none of the boys were in bed at midnight on a Tuesday was not questioned.-------------------------------What do the other three do on full moons?A series of drabbles and oneshots mostly focused on the other three Marauders and their exploits.Including:-Discovery of the wolfness-McGonagall cat gymnast-First Animagus change-Good bro times-And many more whenever I have an idea...Feel free to give prompts! This doesnt have a plot. Its just fun!
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. Beginning of First Year - Remus is missing.

**Author's Note:**

> Its some drabbles and one shots all in one place. No smut, not fluff. Just angsty introspections that I was always curious to read. 
> 
> Feel free to give prompts or comments. I, as always, will do my best.

Tuesday 29th Feburary 1972

“This is the 3rd time he’s been sick this year,” Sirius muttered, looking at Remus’s bed next to his own.

The other two Marauders glanced up at him, their eyes flicking to the empty bed. It was late. They should have been asleep hours ago, but there was an anxiety in the air. It tickled the back of their necks and chewed at their lips making sleep impossible. So the fact that none of the boys were in bed at midnight on a Tuesday was not questioned among the boys.

  
James was stretched out on the floor in front of his bed, surrounded by a nest of half-used parchment, each covered in complicated lines and diagrams. He was trying to absorb himself in Quidditch Through the Ages, sketching out marking patterns and flight manoeuvres but his heart wasn’t in it. He just needed something to stop his mind from wandering to his missing friend. 

  
Peter looked up from his history essay, biting his quill nervously. He looked down at James, unsure of what to say, but James just looked back at him silently and shrugged. 

  
“Remus,” Sirius muttered again, getting up off his own bed and wandering over to his absent friends side of the room. “What d’you reckons wrong with him?”

  
James sat up and stretched, trying to look calmer than he felt, “Stomach bug? It’s a school, people get sick- Black leave his stuff alone!”

  
Sirius tore his hands away from the book he’d been thumbing through and put both hands over his head in a mock surrender. He grinned over at the bespeckled boy. “Fine fine, just curious that’s all!”

  
“Reckon it’s got anything to do with his… you know…” Peters nervous voice trailed off but gestured knowingly to his arms. Sirius shot him a warning glare and Peter dropped his hands.

  
“I’m just saying! It’s not like you haven’t noticed.” 

  
James had noticed the scars, but he would rather not think of them. They had an air of taboo around them, as though even thinking of the scars would be betraying Remus. As much as Remus had been obviously trying to hide them, sharing a room and bathroom meant with 3 other boys meant there was a certain amount of privacy lost. James hadn’t even thought about it when they first moved it. He had never shared with anybody before so the fact that Remus always got dressed in the bathroom seemed normal, he was just shy.

  
But it was the little things… Like when Remus would reach across the table for the toast, you could see the beginning of a long silver scar snaking his way up his wrist. Or another one on his collar bone just before he did up his tie. The thin one behind his ear when he leant down over the parchment or the thick jagged one on his foot when he was putting on his socks. The boys never mentioned it to him. It didn’t seem like the sort of thing you could just slide into conversation. 

  
“He’d tell us if he wanted to tell us,’’ James said defiantly, trying to put an end to the conversation. He couldn’t explain why but he liked Remus and being so persistent into someone so withdrawn felt wrong. It was like the scars, there was something about him that James couldn’t seem to bring himself to think about without hurting Remus.

  
Sirius scowled at him, still circling the empty bed as if trying to look for clues. “Will he? He won’t even put his pyjamas on in the same room as us!?”

  
“He will if he trusts us, but he isn’t going to trust us if you keep going through his stuff!” James threw his quill at Sirius who shot him an angry glare in return. 

  
“Fine.” Sirius said, stalking back over to his own bed and throwing himself dramatically face down on the sheets. “I just…” he trailed off, glancing over at Peter who had gone back to hiding behind History of Magic. “I just hope he’s ok… you know?” he whispered to James, his eyes saying more than the words did.

  
“I know.” James smiled back reassuringly, “He is, he’s got us now right?”

  
“Yeah... He’s got us.” 

  
“And we can help him. We’ll take notes in the classes he misses? And help him with homework,” James got up and began rooting in his bag for a quill. 

  
“But Remus won’t accept the notes?” Peter said, sitting up. There was a new atmosphere creeping into the room. “Remember last time when you offered to do his Astronomy charts because he was sick the night before? He almost ate your head off.”

  
“Who says he has to accept them?” Sirius said, sitting up on his bed, eyes glinting. “We don’t have tell him, but if he happens to find some extra notes on the Goblin Rebellions of 1608 in his bag…”

  
“Or that his bubotuber plant has surprisingly less notches to prune than expected…” James smirked, the mischievous glint dancing across his eyes. “We can help take some of the pressure off and he never has to know.”

  
“Oh… Ok! I can take herbology and astronomy notes!” Peter piped up, dropping his history textbook and crawling over to the timetable James had begun drawing.   
“Hey, reckon we can use your cloak to sneak in snacks from the kitchen? Might be useful to have a stash just in case?” Sirius mused, sitting down next to James and writing his name next to ‘Transfiguration – Wednesday 2pm-3pm.’

  
James smiled. “This is going to work,” he thought to himself. “We can help.”


	2. Mid First Year - Minerva's Ward.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've always loved Minerva. And now, a child in her care is cursed with transfiguration... I wonder how she feels about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment. Request. Go enjoy life!

Tuesday February 29th 1971

"Come in!" Minerva called, answering the knock on the door. She was just finishing grading papers outlining the difference between fur and scales and the added complications that can bring to the transfiguration process. The standard was fairly high overall but there were some repeated errors, especially around the notion rats tails and where fur changes into skin. It seemed that most students were quoting the same text and completely misunderstanding the passage, obvious evidence of cheating but no matter. She made a note in her book to revisit the chapter with the 3rd years tomorrow and jotted down a more suitable text to recommend.

The door edged open and the small first year poked his head in. He smiled nervously but didn’t say anything.

"Ah Mr Lupin", she said, putting down her quill and tidying up the essays. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes Professor", the boy said quietly, waiting patiently in the doorway.

"Excellent. Madam Pomfrey said she would meet us at the entrance hall as usual. Have you no cloak Mr Lupin?" She looked down at the boy as she fastened her own cloak over her shoulders. The winter was on the way out but there was an unmistakable chill in the air and the boy was wearing a only a pair of muggle trousers and a jumper.

"Oh…" he replied timidly, looking down at himself as though he hadn’t even noticed what clothes he was wearing. "I’m not – I mean I won’t be – I didn’t want to…" he stammered quickly before taking a breath and saying; "I’m not that cold tonight."

Minerva paused for a moment and gazed down at him. Such a small boy. She had been stunned when Professor Dumbledore had called her into his office the evening after the sorting.

* * *

“The Lupin boy!?" she exclaimed, "Lyalls son?"

“Quite.” Albus said, readjusting the sorting hat into its case for another year.

“Oh…” Minerva sat on the edge of the chair faintly. “Since when?”

“Since the boy was five," Albus replied, sitting back in his own chair. "It seems Lyalls outspokenness against the lycanthropic community did not go… unnoticed."

"But Remus was only a child! What ruthless savages would harm an innocent boy!?"

Albus’ eyes regarded the Professor sadly. It was rare to see her stern composure slip. She cared for the children so deeply that seeing any of them hurt, even when they were not under her care angered her more than anything. The mark of a true teacher.

“Revenge,” said Albus softly. “What crueller torture then turning Lyalls son into the ‘soulless, evil’ monster he so desperately hates.”

"Cowards," Minerva spat viciously. "Hurting an innocent child. It’s a miracle he even survived! Monsters! Lyall was right, soulless to do such a thing to a young boy."

"Alas that is why we must keep his condition hidden, the prejudices are difficult to overcome even in the best of people."

Minerva looked up, shocked. "I didn’t mean Remus!" she said sharply. "He’s done nothing to deserve this!"

"And yet, he is the one who must suffer the consequences.’"

Minerva sat up in her chair and glared into the headmasters eyes fiercely. "I will not allow any more harm to come to the boy. He is in my house now. He is under my protection."

Albus smiled. "I am sure if it Minerva. Both Lyall and Hope have done as much as they can to protect him thus far. They are trusting us to keep up that protection at all costs. You are his head of house so I am relying on you to keep an eye on him. Madam Pomfrey has also been made aware of his condition and will care for any medical needs that may arise. Aside from us three, and of course Master Lupin himself, I do not see why anyone else on the staff needs to be made aware of the full extent of the condition, I believe it is better for the child that way. However, I imagine some leniency and excuses may need to be made on some occasions, Pomona Sprout was very considerate in not asking questions about planting the Whomping Willow although the same might not be said for some of our other staff."

"I will deal with the staff." Minerva replied, standing and straightening her robes. She had resumed her usual, immovable composure. "I assume arrangements have been made for the… nights in question."

"Yes. There is passage to a safe house out on the grounds, I will have Pomona show you how to access it. The first full moon is the 15th I believe…"

"I will organise it will Poppy and Mr Lupin. He will be safe with us."

"I have no doubt Minerva."

* * *

The three walked briskly down the usual route towards the Whomping Willow. It would have looked a strange sight if there were anyone to see it. The deputy head, the Matron and a small first year walking along the shaded pathway at dusk. They were walking tight into the wall under the castle, the pathway hugging the parapets until it reached a set of stone arches, then the trio cut off the path entirely and set off across the unmarked grass towards the Willow.  
Remus was rolling his shoulders, stretching his neck as though trying to undo a knot somewhere deep in his back. He winced.

"Everything ok dear?" Madam Pomfrey asked, stopping to look concernedly down at the boy. The sky was still a dusky pink and the top of the sun still visible over the tops of the trees, they had time yet.

The Matron put her hands on the boys shoulders. "The full moon hits at 4am tonight, you’ll be changed its at its brightest…" she muttered to no one, examining him.

"I’m fine!" Remus growled, shrugging the nurses hands off his shoulders. "Leave me alone."

Madam Pomfrey scowled. "It’s just, this one might be a little bit more intense given the timing – "

"I said I'm fine!’’ Remus yelled again, balling his hands into fists and glaring at the nurse as though he was trying to set her on fire. "Lets just get this over with."

He stalked angrily away from them towards the tree. Madam Pomfrey went to run after him but Minerva put her hand on her arm. "He’s ok," she said quietly to the nurse. "I'll see to him."

Minerva followed Remus down the path to where he had stopped just out of reach of the Whomping Willow. She stood beside him, both looking out at the sunset on the horizon.

"Sorry Professor," Remus said, quietly although the anger was still hot in his voice.

"It's quite alright Mr Lupin." McGonagall answered kindly. They let the silence of the apology hover in the air for a second.

"Does it hurt?"

The question was not one McGonagall expected. She looked down at the small boy, puzzled. He was still looking at the sky though she could see the flushed anger still hot on his neck. It made a ragged scar more vivid on his skin.

"When you change into an Animagus? Does it hurt?" Remus' voice was quiet.

Minerva sighed. She had been asked this question what it felt like a hundred of times over from curious students. However this time, the question felt different.

"No…" She replied slowly. "The first time was… odd certainly, but I can’t say it that it was painful."

Remus still didn’t look up, although Minerva had a feeling that this answer wasn’t the one Remus was hoping for.

"…Mine hurts…" He said in a small voice.

She sighed. The boy was so small. She had heard awful stories of lycanthropic change throughout her transfiguration career. She had studied its metamorphosis effects, how to bones elongated, how the muscles twisted and contracted, how the skull broke in two to make space for the snout. The little accounts there were compared it the Cruciatus curse, although that curse only gave the illusion of pain. Lycanthropy rearranged your entire anatomy.

Her jaw clenched as she tried not to think about it. About Remus. About what having to suffer such agony month after month must do to a person, to a child.

The silence was so heavy it felt as though it was pushing down the sun. Only the tip of it was visible over the trees now.

"I can see in the dark." Minerva said, shooting a mischievous grin at the mini marauder beside her.

He looked up, a stunned expression on his face.

"Not perfectly, mind you. Certainly not as well as when I’m in my other form but it does come in handy when I’m patrolling the corridors."

Remus gawked at the stern professor. He was quiet for a while, then replied. "I can smell people sometimes… Especially around a full moon. It’s like everything gets a little… louder. My senses get sharper." He grimaced, as though trying not to think about it.

Minerva looked down at him. "That sounds useful? Better reflexes are always an advantage to a wizard. Remind me not to duel you during a moon."

Remus said nothing for a moment as though confused by Minerva's answer. "I never thought about it like that before…"

"Sometimes, it is our differences that define us, not separate us." Minerva said softly, placing a hand on Remus’s shoulder. "Now, come along, it’s getting late. I think I could stretch my legs a bit."

She caught Remus’s eye and gave him a quick wink before pulling the familiar muscle and dropping into her animagus form. The Whomping Willow loomed above her but being so small it was easier to see the route to the knot. She began forward, leaping easily over the first branch and under the canopy. A sharp breeze whistled through her whiskers on the left side of her cheek, she jumped instinctively, arching over a second branch which had zoomed towards her. Looking left, saw the thick tree limb pulling up towards the trunk. In two bounds she leapt onto it and skirted up wood. The branch lurched suddenly to the right and the cat had to bear its claws not to be thrown off. She sensed another branch over to her left and jumped quickly over to it and used the momentum to launch herself on to the main trunk. She twisted in midair so that she was facing towards the ground and using her claws, skirted down the bark to the knot in the tree. The Willow froze and the cat landed softly on the rocks at the tunnel entrance.

Minerva stood up, growing back to full height in a second. Remus was grinning wildly, the anger forgotten about.

"That was brilliant!" he said brightly.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now now, come along!" Minerva said sternly, guiding the two spectators into the tunnel.

"Did you have fun?" Madam Pomfrey giggled to her as she passed.

"Oh hush!" said Minerva, although she couldn’t quite hide the smile from her voice.


	3. End of First Year - Prank Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pranking is difficult at the best of times but with a Marauder down...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment. Request. Go enjoy life!

Sunday 28th May 1972

“This is never going to work!” Sirius moaned throwing himself back on his bed, wand in one hand, the goblet of pumpkin juice tipping onto his bed soaking his pillow. “Oh for Godric – Scourgify.” 

The pumpkin juice vanished and Sirius kicked the goblet onto the floor. 

“Stop being so dramatic Black,” James chastised him. “It’ll work we have a month to figure it out!” He was leafing through his potions book, trying to find something suitably explosive. Moonlight was filtered through the window but again, none of the boys were tired. They were deep in mischief mode.

“But this is our end of year bonanza James!” Sirius cried, “It needs to be dramatic! We are Marauders. This is the end of year heist! It needs to be big!”

“It will be. You almost had it that time? I swear I saw it bubble...” 

Sirius threw a pillow at James. “It won’t do. This is it. This is the end of our wizarding careers. If the Black heir, the purest of bloodlines cannot make one measly pumpkin juice geyser then there is no hope for the wizarding community. We’re all doomed.” 

“I’d rather be doomed than marry my cousin,” James scowled, throwing the pillow back at Sirius. “Here, Remus got his to spout earlier. And you were close! I reckon that if we can find something that we could smear on the goblets before the final feast, something that will react with a liquid to get it fizzing, then between the 4 of us we could definitely get all the goblets to erupt…” 

“I wonder how his mum is…” Peter mused quietly. He was trying to copy out intricate herbology diagrams onto an extra sheet of parchment to slide into Remus’s bag before tomorrow. 

The three boys looked over to Remus’s empty bed. All his stuff was still there, even though he had been gone for the whole weekend. They had assumed he’d be back before tonight since they had classes tomorrow but no such luck. 

And being a Marauder down when you’re trying to plan an end of year prank was very inconvenient.

“Here, try again,” James said, pulling the boy’s attention away from the empty bed and back to the task at hand. “Aguimente.” The goblet filled with water and he pushed it towards Sirius. 

Sirius groaned but sat up and pointed his wand towards the goblet. He envisioned it shooting water towards the sky, he pictured geysers and fountains and whale blowholes and- “Laevis!” The water in the goblet jumped slightly over the rim as though someone had dropped a pebble in it. Sirius flopped back. 

“That was… better,” James smirked. “I don’t think we’re getting the wrist movement right… Remus said it was more like this…” He twisted his wand in a sort of ‘U’ shape, Sirius copied him. 

“Try together,” Peter said, putting down his quill and picking up the herbology book. “We’re going to be doing it all together anyway, maybe you just need more pull? I think… this might…” He trailed off, losing himself in a chapter about pollen.

James shrugged and refilled the goblet, waiting for Sirius to count him in. “Ready?”

“One… two…” Both boys concentrated on the water, picturing it shooting up into the sky. They flicked their wrists and yelled ‘Laevis!’. A spout of water flew two feet in the air, barely reaching the boys eye level. They both jumped back in surprise, losing control of the spout which promptly exploded, raining over the two dark haired boys in a fine mist. Peter jumped a foot in the air out of sheer surprise, the Herbology book tumbling to the floor.

Huge grins spread over both James and Sirius’s face. “Oh that was fun!” Sirius laughed, shaking the water out of his hair like a dog. James jumped up, water droplets clinging to his glasses. 

“That was brilliant! Imagine when there’s 4 of us!? And if I can find a potion that already puts some fizz into the water then it’ll go even higher! And with more practice-“ James was practically bouncing. 

“But what sort of potion!?” Sirius asked, still grinning wildly and aiming his wand back at the goblet to try again.

“I don’t think we need a potion,” Peter called, picking back up the Herbology book and rifling through to find his page again. “There’s a pollen in here, Aeitis Bulla, they use it in healing potions to revive patients? I don’t think it does anything to help them, just ‘activates the potion’, gives it more energy to work?”

“That sounds promising!” James jumped over to Peter, still bounding with energy. “It wouldn’t even be dangerous to drink then!?” 

“I wonder is that the stuff they use if fizzing whizzbees…” Sirius muttered, reading the passage over Peters shoulder, “You know, to make it tangy?” 

“I bet it is! And I bet it’s in the greenhouses! We’d only need a tiny bit. We can use my Invisibility Cloak, put a tiny bit of powder in all the goblets before the feast, no one would even know until they filled after the speeches!”

“Then boom!” Sirius yelled. 

“Boom!” James repeated, eyes gleeful. 

“Remus is going to love this!”


	4. Early Second Year - Secrets in the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Homework is enlightening for once!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment. Request. Go enjoy life!

Tuesday 21st November 1972. 

“Does Professor Binns really say all this stuff!?” 

James was sitting upright on his bed, leafing through Remus’s History of Magic notes. He had asked to borrow them earlier under the guise of needing help with the assignment, but in reality, he was really focussed on trying to copy Remus’s scratchy rushed handwriting. “Surely all this can’t be important?”

“It isn’t. Remus just writes it all down to keep himself awake.”

Sirius was sitting on his own bed surrounded by both is own star chart, Remus’s empty chart and Copernica’s ‘Stars of Time’ open on his bed. Since starting second year the workload had doubled and Sirius was hoping that this wasn’t going to be a trend for future years, although he didn’t feel optimistic. 

“No one needs to know this much about the Troll Uprising of 1382,” James muttered angrily. “The more notes you take, the longer your essays have to be…”

“Hence why I never take notes!” Sirius smiled, “No homework. Ok, this is ridiculous I have no idea what celestial coordinates I’m supposed to be on. Why did I get lumbered with Remus’s Astrology? Why couldn’t Peter do it?”

“Because we made a rota!” Peter huffed, not looking up from his own Astrology homework. He was almost done, they had had to track the stars over the course of October and plot each of the planets motion relative to its opposing constellation during that month. It was picky work that involved using a lot of very precise measuring and angles and note taking. If you got one star wrong by even a degree it could throw off your whole chart. It was exhausting. 

“This is stupid. I don’t even know where Cassiopia is!” Sirius said, holding his star chart up in the air and squinting as though it was hidden somewhere within the parchment.  
“Your family are all named after stars? You should be good at this?”

Sirius threw down the parchment, got off his bed and stalked over to the window and kicked the dresser. “Yeah like I want to spend more time being reminded of them.” 

“Hey,” James said softly, “They’re just stars Black, don’t worry about it. Look here, show me yours?” 

“You can’t see it, the moons too bright.” Sirius muttered, still angrily toeing the dresser. 

“Must be a full moon soon right?” James said ,trying to stand on Sirius’s toes to stop him fidgeting. 

“Tonight I think…” Peter mused from his bed. “Lemme check, I marked it for October so we can just count the days…”

“When was the October one then?” James said loudly, still trying to distract Sirius.  
“The 22nd” Peter said, “So yeah, full moon tonight.”

Sirius froze. He looked at James who just looked back puzzled. “What?”

“The 22nd? Wasn’t that the Ravenclaw Gryffindor match?” Sirius asked, his voice suddenly full of anxiety. 

“I…think so? 3rd Sunday of the month like always? Why?” James asked confused.

“So if the last one was the 22nd, then Septembers moon was….” Sirius snatched his quill and furiously started doing the maths.

Peter exchanged worried looks with James and started walking over to Sirius’s bed.  
“The 23rd’’ Peter supplied, looking puzzled at Sirius’s sudden distraction. ‘’What are you getting at Black?”

“Remus.” He said, suddenly looking up at James, before going back and scribbling ‘August-24’ on the parchment. It was like a switch in James’s head. “Oh…” He said quietly. 

“Peter, there’s a Care of Magical Creatures book on the shelf in the common room, go get it,” Sirius didn’t look up from his parchment, he was on ‘May-28’. 

“Why?” Peter asked, feeling completely lost.

“Just go!” James said, pushing him towards the door and kneeling down beside Sirius. Peter stalked out, still looking completely bewildered but didn’t ask any more questions. 

“Surely not…” James asked Sirius quietly. “He couldn’t be… It’s Remus? And the school…”

“James look…” He shoved the dates in front of James, his hands trembling. “Look, he missed the Quidditch match last month remember? He said it was food poisoning from the banquet. And the end of September he said he had that family graduation or whatever? And remember in June how he got that stomach flu right after exams? And when his mum was sick in May? The dates line up James.”

“But… It’s Remus? He can’t be? He eats bananas on toast and makes jokes to McGonagall and…”

“And turns into a werewolf…” Sirius sighed, leaning back.

“Merlin beard…”James stood and ran his hand through his hair. “…Godric… ok…” 

A tense silence hung in the air for a moment before it was broken by Peter, still looking miffed at being dismissed from the room.

“Here.” He said, throwing the book at Sirius. “You could have just said if you wanted me to leave.”

Sirius muttered a thank you before picking up the book and rifling through the table of contents. 

“It won’t be in that one.” James said quietly and pulled a different textbook out of the shelf next to Sirius’s bed.

“What is going on!” Peter moaned at the two boys but they didn’t seem to be listening. “What won’t be in that one?”

Sirius snapped the book closed. James was right, it wasn’t in that one. 

“Remus.” He said, turning to Peter. “Why Remus keeps going for a night or two. Once a month… Every month…”

Peter looked up at him, confused. 

“I don’t get it,” Peter said, “I thought we agreed not to ask him about that, get him to trust us, right?”

“I don’t think he would want to tell us this…” James had found what he was looking for. He got up and put his copy of Defence Against the Dark Arts down on Sirius’s bed in front of his two friends. The page open on a growling, snarling, grey wolf with hackles raised, glaring at them with red eyes and surrounded by an arch of moons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Screw you I love banana on toast!! And everyone says chocolate and I wanted to be different. Also I don't super get the whole 'Remus loves chocolate' thing? I just assumed chocolate was the antidote to Dementor sickness (chocolate works when Im sad?) so naturally Remus would have it on him given that there was going to be Dementors in Hogwarts? Anyway, headcannon!


	5. Early Second Year (part 2) - Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know I said one-shot but this one was a two-shot because, hey, I got to end on the worlds smallest cliffhanger last time and that was fun!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment. Request. Go enjoy life!

Tuesday 21st November 1972

All three stared at it, no one said a word. The pale moonlight filtered in through the window. Despite the warm fire, it suddenly felt very cold. 

“…Remus…” Peters voice was quivering, “…Is a…” 

“It would appear that way.” James said taking off his glasses and running his hands through his hair again. 

“But… Why would they let that into a school!” Peter squeaked, pointing at the vicious monster on the page. 

“Hey!” Sirius glared angrily at Peter who recoiled slightly. But Sirius didn’t argue further. His eyes drifted back to the snarling teeth, the thick matted fur… The red eyes…

“That isn’t Remus,” he said in a small voice, looking up at James. “That’s not our Remus…”

James looked down at him, then to the book, to the empty bed and back to Sirius. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. His mum’s nursery rhymes reeling through his head, about big bad wolves who steal small children until the clever wizard tricks him and saves the day. 

The heavy silence returned. None of the three pureblood boys willing to say the things that were racing through their minds.

Again, it was Peter who broke the silence. This time with snort of laughter. He clapped his hands over his mouth as Sirius swung around and glared at him, all the pent up frustration exploding in one angry yell. 

“What!? Do you think this is funny!? What are we supposed to do!? Just keep doing his homework and pretending like we don’t know!? What if something happens!? What if everyone else finds out and they kick him out of school!? What if he hurts someone!? Or one of us!? And you think this is funny!?”

Sirius’s face was burning, his eyes were stinging, his cheeks red and hands were curled in tight fists. James tried to put a hand on his shoulder instinctively to calm him down but Sirius just shrugged him off. He leapt from the bed and stalked to the far end of the room, kicking the corner post of James’s bed. 

“Sorry…” Peter whispered softly, “It’s just… Lupin…”

“Yeah what about him” snarled Sirius.

Peter looked down, trying to stifle the smirk playing at his mouth. “Lupin…” he muttered again, “…It means wolf…”

James looked down at Peter who was now grinning mischievously. 

“Lupus,” Peter said, “The wolf constellation… Based on the story of Romulus…”

“And Remus…” James finished, a giggle was rising up inside him and as serious as the situation was, James didn’t think he going to be able to stop it. 

Sirius looked round and the two grinning boys, they were shaking. 

“Wolf Wolf the Werewolf!” James blurted out. 

All three of them lost it. James collapsed into a heap on the floor, clutching his sides and gasping for breath. Peter was trying to wipe tears from his eyes, but they kept coming. Sirius threw himself back on the bed, howling not only at the name but also the sight of his two best friends in pieces on the floor. 

It was a long time before they all came back to their senses. They were lying on their backs on the dormitory floor gazing up at the ceiling, still in a giddy high from the laughter. The tension in the room was gone now, they had laughed it all away.

“He’s still just Remus though right? Banana’s on toast Remus?” Sirius said to the ceiling.  
“Yeah,” James replied smiling. “Still Remus but with a …furry little problem…”

“Furry little problem.” Peter repeated absentmindedly. “Guess that explains the scars…”  
All three boys were quiet, trying not to imagine the same thing.

“We’re still going to help him though right?” Sirius said firmly. “There’s got to be something we can do?”

“We’re Marauders.” James said simply. “There’s nothing we can’t do.”


	6. Early Second Year (part 3) - The Infirmary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oops ok I lied its a three-shot but I swear this is the last of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment. Request. Go enjoy life!

Wednesday 22nd November 1972

“Are we going to tell him that we know about the… about him?” 

Peter groaned, sitting up on the rug and trying to roll the knots out of his shoulders. The sun was just beginning to peer through the window and all 3 boys were exhausted. At some point in the night Sirius had dragged James’ blanket off the bed and had disappeared underneath it. A muffled moan was coming somewhere beneath the pile. 

James sat up, rubbing his aching shoulders. They had all fallen asleep on the dorm floor, still surrounded by the notes and discoveries of the night before. 

“…Furry little problem?” James supplied helpfully. Peter caught his eye but turned away, James undoubtedly saw a flicker of worry but elected to ignore it. 

“Obviously Dumbledore thinks its ok or he wouldn’t be allowed in the school.” He said, hopefully sounding more confident than he felt. “But I don’t think Remus want’s anybody to know.’’

“We weren’t going to tell people!?” The blanket mound began to flail as Sirius tried to fight his way to freedom. A mess of black hair appeared beside James leg, “We can’t, if parents find out there’s a werewolf in the school he’ll get kicked out!”

“We won’t tell anyone.’’ James said, looking over at Peter who nodded solemnly. “We won’t tell anyone. Not even Remus yet. Not until we’re sure.” 

He stood up and looked down at the other two Marauders, meeting their eyes. None of the boys truly knew what to do, not even James, but this felt like the right thing. And they all trusted James. 

Sirius and Peter nodded and hauled themselves off the floor. “Ok…” Peter said quietly, “So…what now?”

“Get ready for breakfast I suppose,” James shrugged. It seemed bizarre that they would just go about their normal day but there didn’t seem to be another option. James yanked his blankets off the floor and started to make his bed, as though it were any other morning. Sirius and Peter glanced at each other before following suit. 

“Hey… where do you think werewolves go, you know… after a full moon?” Peters voice called from the bathroom. 

Sirius and James looked at each other. “Eh… I dunno…” James said, shrugging at Sirius.  
“A shower?” Sirius asked helpfully? 

James sniggered despite himself. “Well, where does Remus usually go?”

“He said he was sick right? So he’s probably in the hospital wing?”

“Well lets go then!” Sirius said, “We can go see him, make sure he’s ok!”

Peter poked his head out of the bathroom, “But we weren’t going to tell him?”

Sirius was already shoving the astrology homework haphazardly into his bag, “We don’t. He said he was sick. We’re his best friends. We would have gone to see him anyway.”

Peter looked to James for advice, but James just smiled. “We can give him his notes before class, that way he won’t be worried about missing lessons. Come on, we’ll swing by the Great Hall and bring him some banana toast.”

The Hospital Wing was a bubble of calm amidst the morning bustle, its’ big stained glass windows causing the morning light to dance over the marble floor. Most of the beds were empty, to their left a 5th year boy was trying to butter toast with one arm, his other wrapped tightly in a sling. Two older girls on the opposite side of the room were quizzing each other from a heavy textbook, their friend dozing in the bed beside them. Down the back of the hall there were screens which surrounded some pockets of darkness covering students who might still be sleeping. 

“What do you want?” A sharp voice startled the three and they jumped, seeing Madam Pomfrey appear from almost nowhere. She scanned them as though looking for injuries out of habit. 

“We’re here to see Remus,” James said, a little too quickly to be calm. He held up the toast as though it was a hall pass. The three boys were dancing anxiously, a mix of excitement and wonder to see their friend. 

Madam Pomfreys eyes froze for a brief second, taking in all three boys completely. “He’s still resting,” She said calmly, “But… I can see if he’s awake. Stay here.”  
The Matron strode back towards one of the screened beds at the back of the hall and disappeared behind it. The boys shuffled nervously, anxiously waiting in the doorway. None of them said a word. 

After a few minutes Madam Pomfrey appeared again and beckoned the trio. All 3 clamoured forward excitedly towards the bed but stopped suddenly as the Matron crossed in front of them. 

“It’s early. You three have lessons to attend to and Mr Lupin needs his rest. 5 minutes. Do not over excite him.” She glared at the trio, They didn’t need to be warned twice. 

They chirped a ‘Yes Ma’am’ as honestly as they could, and she pulled across the curtain.  
Remus was sitting up in bed. He looked like Remus, a very tired, very normal Remus. He had large dark bags under his eyes and there was a bandage on his hand just barely visible under his sleeve that he was stretching down between his fingers. He smiled hesitantly at his friends, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. 

James grinned at Remus. “We brought toast!” he said confidently, holding up the now cold slice of bread. 

“And bananas!” Sirius piped up, presenting a whole bunch of 8 bananas from behind his back. 

“…Tadaa?” Peter said, not having anything to present but wanting to be part of the moment.  
All three boys stood dramatically, presenting their wares to their friend. Remus looked confused, looking at each of them individually. They looked ridiculous. Remus snorted. 

“Thanks” he whispered smiling.

‘’Anything for our Remus.’’


	7. Early 5th Year - Becoming Animagi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big jump to 5th year but I've wanted to write about the whole Animagus change for ages. So I did! Fun that!  
> This is also a 2-parter, or a long 1-parter if you shut your eyes when clicking the 'next chapter' button.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment. Request. Go enjoy life!

Saturday 17th January 1976

“I feel ridiculous. Gimme that book again.”

“What am I supposed to be clenching?”

  
“Sirius you look like you’re trying to shit yourself.”

  
“You would know Pete- ”

  
“Sirius not now come on!”

  
The three boys stood outside in small protected courtyard. Peter had discovered it on one of their map making exhibitions. Nested in the wall it was just out of eyeline of any windows and covered from above by parapet. A large beach tree stood just in front of it and unless you were looking, you’d assume it blocked just a corner in the stone. You’d never notice there was a small alley to a hidden courtyard nestled behind it. Peter was always good at squeezing into small spaces. 

  
James was bent over a large, weathered tome, rereading a passage for the thousandth time but not understanding it anymore than the first. 

_Pull from within to shift the out_  
_The beast comes forth from mind and mouth_  
_To shape the skin and morph the mind_  
_And reveal what spirit resides inside_

“You could think they’d come up with something that actually rhymed.” muttered Sirius, reading the passage over James’ shoulder. “’Mind’ isn’t even close to ‘inside’!”

  
James shoved an elbow into his best friends gut and read allowed, “ _Pull from within to shift the out. The beast comes forth from mind and mouth_. So… we need to think about the change then pull some muscle inside us to change it?”

“That’s what we’ve been doing!” Peter groaned, laying down on the stones. “I’ve pulled every muscle I have and all it's done is given me cramps. What we missed something? We finished the lighting step almost two weeks ago, what if the ritual has worn off and we have to start again?”

  
“We are not starting again! It worked, it has to have worked. I’m not chewing on any more leaves, that was the worst month of my life and I go home for the summer.” Sirius grumbled throwing himself on the flagstones next to Peter. “It has to work.”

Despite the late hour, the courtyard was bright. A cold blue light lit up the courtyard from a full moon somewhere hidden overhead. None of the boys mentioned it, though they were all thinking the same thing. Full Moons were the only time the three of them could talk freely about their Animagus plan, the only time they could sneak away to practice, do the meditation rituals and concoct the potions. It kept them busy if nothing else. Something to keep them distracted, a mission, something to focus on. 

  
They had learned pretty quickly that staying in the dorm during full moons was unbearable. The empty bed seemed to take up the room, swallowing the boys in heavy silence. Since second year, since they found out what Remus was and the empty bed explained, the three remaining boys had made a habit of avoiding the room until he returned safe. They spent it in the dorm room, finishing assignments, swapping stories or just sitting in each others company, all trying not to think the same thoughts. At the end of 3rd year, when the Animagus plan had been concocted, chewed on and ironed out, their full moons got busier, more focused. They spent it sneaking to the Library, wandering around herb gardens, sussing out ritual locations. It had given them purpose. A reason to avoid the empty bed. 

  
And this was the final step. Hopefully, the final moon where the Marauders would be separated. If they could just figure out how to actually BE an Animagus.

  
“How are we supposed to change into an animal when we don’t know what animal we’re supposed to be changing into?” James said, still rifling though the pages of the ancient _Comhlachtaí Athraitheacha_ book Sirius had snuck from the Malfoy library two years ago. A thick, dense tome that with passages still in an old Irish language that evaded all translation spells, forcing them to look up words and phrases by hand to make any sense of it.

  
Peter pushed himself up onto his elbows. “Maybe you don’t think think of the animal? The animal comes forth. I think it just… happens?”

“Useful Pete thanks”, huffed Sirius throwing his hands over his head. “To change into an animal you don’t think of an animal.”

  
Peter huffed but sat up. “No listen. _The animal comes forth from mind and mouth_. I think we need to stop looking for it and just let the animal come to us.”

  
“Pete there is no animal. The animal is us, we change into the animal?”

  
“Yeah I know but-“ Peter chewed his lip trying to find the right words. He needed to get them right otherwise James and Sirius wouldn’t listen to him. It hadn’t escaped Peters notice that it was usually Remus who would hear him, repeating it for the other two boys. They listened to Remus, but not to Peter. 

  
“-But the rhyme says _The beast comes forth from mind and mouth, To shape the skin and morph the mind._ The animal shapes us, we just have to let it.”

  
“What like meditation?”

  
“Makes sense?” Peter replied, “We’ve been working on stretching out our bodies and brains to act more animal? The last step would be uniting both parts of ourselves?”

“Sounds meditatey”, Sirius remarked but sat up, crossing his legs and stretching out his shoulders. “Right then, come to me beasty!”

  
Peter grimaced but copied his stance and went quiet. 

  
James was the last to settle down. He wasn’t as cunning as Peter, who could silently mull over a chessboard for hours before making a move. Nor was he as disciplined as Sirius who could not hide the stubbornness and determination that characterized a Black. Potters were restless, fidgety, inquisitive. Rarely quiet and patient. But they were loyal, so to please his friends and more importantly to help a friend, James sat and closed his eyes. 

  
He regulated his breathing, imagined a path and felt himself walking down it to the beat of his breaths. Whenever a thought drifted into his head, he imagined the path curving around and walking right by it, not letting himself get distracted. The first few times he had done this his path had been almost constant bends and kept changing colour or background. It was easier now, the path still curved but at least the redbrick walkway and vast green background were steady. 

  
His path was in a large expansive green field. Low cut grass, not unlike a Quidditch pitch that stretched for miles and miles with nothing in it. Just him and the vast expanse of quiet serenity. Him and that dot thing on the horizon. The path curved away from the stray thought but the dot just moved with it. James moved his focus back to the path. He could feel something, something big and heavy trying to distract him, trying to get his attention. He kept his eyes on the red bricks, breathing slow, trying to walk around the thought instead of getting distracted by it. 

  
The dot wasn’t a thought, not something he was thinking of consciously anyway. It was something else, like a name you cant remember or a taste you cant quite place. It felt like a memory he had forgotten, something he knew in his heart but couldn’t name in his head. He knew somehow that if he let himself think about it, it’d escape him. 

  
James’ eyes were still on the red bricks. His brain was entirely focused on the path and his walking feet although his body felt like he was walking against a wall. (All the while, he knew he was still seated on the cold stones of the hidden courtyard). Something heavy was pressing on his body, the block in his head was becoming more difficult to walk around. Everything felt heavy, desperate, like an itch begging to be scratched it yearned for his attention. Until finally it was too much. James eyes looked up for him.

  
Eyes met eyes. The same eyes. His own big brown intelligent eyes, but larger, rounder, further apart, lidded in brown fur. 

  
As if on instinct, James clenched a muscle somewhere in his abdomen, a muscle he didn’t realise he owned. It was not unlike the feeling of using a portkey, although what followed was definitely nothing like a portkey. He heard a low braying sound and felt himself doubling over onto all fours. His arms were lengthening, his neck stretching, his head was getting heavier and the world getting louder. He felt himself growing taller and taller until suddenly it stopped. 


	8. Early Fifth Year (part 2) - What a Stag!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you close your eyes? In that case, this is still technically the last chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment. Request. Go enjoy life.

Saturday 17th January 1976

  
“MERLINS FUCKING WAND!” Sirius yelled, falling over backwards. James’s transformation had only taken maybe 3 seconds but seeing your friend suddenly turn into a deer was somewhat traumatising. 

  
The giant deer reared in freight, staggered on its two back legs and stumbled away from the two boys, snorting heavily. 

  
Peter jumped to his feet and held his hands up. “What do we do!?” he hissed at Sirius.

  
“The fuck if I know!? Our best friend is a deer!?”

  
The deer had backed into the wall but was looking a bit more steady on its feet. It was shaking its head and lifting each foot up individually as though trying to figure out how to stand without falling over.

  
Sirius, ignoring Peters tugs on his robes, took a step closer to the confused animagus. “James…” He called hesitantly, “James mate, is that you?”

  
The deer/James looked up at him suddenly, rearing slightly and taking another few panicked steps back into the wall. 

  
“Woah woah there boy its ok!” Sirius said calmly, still slowly making his way towards him. “Can you understand me? It’s Sirius. You changed! You’re a big deer now, do you understand?”

  
“Stag..” Peter muttered, creeping up behind Sirius, his eyes still firmly fixed on James as though he might stampede them at any moment. “He’s a stag, he’s got the…--” Peter gestured to his forehead, waggling his fingers. “—Prongs..”

  
The stag stopped suddenly and turned to look at Peter. He snorted loudly, letting out a rush of angry air. 

  
“I don’t think he likes you calling his antlers ‘Prongs’” Sirius grinned, moving closer until he was within arms reach of the stag. 

  
“James… You gotta give me something here mate? We never discussed what to do when we actually changed. Is there a signal? To show you understand me?”  
“Paw once for yes, twice for no?”

  
Sirius shot Peter a glare but said nothing. The stag turned his head from Peter meeting Sirius’s eyes. They were James’ eyes, the same dark brown speckled with green only bigger. And in the head of a giant deer. 

  
It knocked the ground once with its hoof. 

  
Both boys exhaled a breath they didn’t know they were holding. _It worked!_ Sirius thought. _It worked it actually worked! It’s still James, it actually worked!_

  
Sirius reached out slowly and ran his hand down the stags neck. “This is bloody brilliant!” He said quietly. “You’re amazing!”

The stag hoofed the ground once.

  
“Can you change back?” Peter asked hesitantly.

  
The stag looked up at him and shook out his head forcing Sirius to retreat from the huge antlers. It shut its eyes and for a second looked almost asleep. 

  
Before it starting shrinking, hooves stretching into hands, brown fur morphing into dark messy hair until, after 3 seconds that felt like 30, James Potter was lying face down on the stones. Sirius and Peter ran over to him in a panic, yelling his name. 

  
“That--,” James said as his two friends pulled him up off the ground so he was sitting up against the wall, “—was the weirdest thing I’ve ever done…”

  
“Understatement mate!”

  
“You were a deer! A real life deer! With hooves!” 

  
“A stag!” James huffed indignantly, stretching out his fingers, “But yeah, the hooves are going to take some adjusting. And the antlers, they are heavy!”

  
“How did you do it?”

  
“Same as Peter said. I let it come to me.” Sirius looked dissatisfied with this answer although Peter was failing to hide a smug grin. 

  
“I don’t know how else to explain it!” James continued. “I did the meditation stuff we practiced, tried to calm my head, avoid any conscious though, get in sync with my natural rhythm. Then it was just there… The stag just sort of came and got me? And I couldn’t not change. I don’t think I can explain it, it’ll just happen.”

  
“You’re as much use as the bloody book!” Sirius complained, though there was a tinge of sarcasm to his frustration. If James could do it, then so would he. 

  
“What was it like? Being a stag?” Peter was staring at the spot just above James’ head where his antlers should be. 

  
“It was… weird. But also completely normal.” James replied honestly. “I mean, it was a shock at first having four legs and no colour vision. But in my head, it was like I was always a stag. I could understand what you were saying but I couldn’t speak English. I couldn’t think in words. I knew you wanted to know if I understood you. I knew you said to tap the ground, so I did.”

  
James could tell from the looks on his friends faces that they didn’t truly understand what he was saying. That was ok, they’d understand when they Changed, for now he was just trying to articulate what he felt more for himself than anything. 

  
“You’re more animal than human. I had all my own understanding and recognition but I could only think about them like a stag would. I had all the instincts and reflexes of an animal and they were more dominant. Deer don’t like being in enclosed spaces. Being stuck between 4 big stone walls was frightening, instinct told me to panic. But you guys, you smelled like family, like a herd, so I didn’t.”

  
“You did a bit.” Sirius muttered, “You almost kicked me.” 

  
“Yeah, sorry about that. Lot of new limbs.” James grinned, kicking Sirius in the shin.   
“We smelled like a herd?” Peter asked, his brow furrowed.

  
“Well, yeah? You smelled like people I needed to protect.” James shrugged. He was aware of how weird it sounded but that was the best way to explain it.

  
There was silence for a few minutes, the boys lost in their own thoughts. 

  
Finally it was Peter who spoke. “Do you think it’ll be like that with Remus? He’ll smell us as his herd?”

  
“I think so.” James said, more confidently now than he had ever been before. “You guys really smelled like my herd. I don’t think anything could have dulled that, even if you weren’t human.” 

  
“Good.” Sirius said defiantly, shifting back into his meditation stance. “Now shove off Prongs, we need space to find our inner beasty.”

  
“THEY’RE ANTLERS!” James yelled.

  
“Sorry Prongs but it suits you.” Said Peter copying Sirius’s pose and closing his eyes. 

  
“Fine but I get to pick your nickname then.” James muttered, leaving them to it and walking to the edge of the courtyard. He could just pick out the full moon through the branches of the trees. A knot formed somewhere in his gut. His transformation hadn’t hurt at all. He had been worried, given how exhausted and in pain Remus was after a full moon that turning to an animagus would be a similar experience. He couldn’t squash the feeling of guilt tangled in his relief. “We’re coming to help Remus, I promise.” he muttered into the air. He could almost hear the joyful barks in response.

  
Wait, he could hear barks? James turned, only to be immediately floored by a giant black dog.


	9. Mid 5th Year - Poppy Pomfrey.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a headcanon that I entertain involving Poppy so thought it'd be fun to explore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING:  
> This chapter/story has descriptions of Remus during and after his transformations.  
> They are reasonably graphic.  
> They are from Madam Pomfreys point of view.  
> Mentions of blood, cuts, broken bones, pain, dislocations etc.  
> You don't have to read this story if you don't want to.  
> Mind yourself first. You are the most important person in your life, take care of yourself. 
> 
> And as always, Comment, Request, Go Enjoy Life x

Wednesday 19th November 1975

Poppy Pomfrey had always loved her job, although she cannot say that it didn’t hurt her. No matter how long she had been a nurse at this school, every time a child came through her doors a small part of her froze, just in case this time, this time she wouldn’t be able to help them. 

It rarely happened. The longer she worked, the more people she could help. The more she learned, the less people suffered. For 38 years, there hadn’t been a child through those doors that she hadn’t been able to cure, that hadn’t left her care in better condition than they entered it. 

Until Remus Lupin. 

It felt like each time he came in after a moon, he was worse off than the last one. Nothing she did seemed to help. The salves and balms stopped the bleeding but they couldn’t always close the wounds. The bandages helped close the wounds but they couldn’t stop the scars. The potions could help him sleep but she could see the ache in his joints even as he dreamed, the awkward way he bent his leg to try take the pressure off his hip. He indulged her, taking every concoction she presented with a smile but they both knew it would do very little. Very little to counteract the pain of his entire body forcibly warping into a new shape.  
It made her feel helpless. To be so close to someone, to be able to touch their wounds, hear their groans, see their pain and do nothing but send them to a restless sleep with a false promise that tomorrow would be better. 

She could do nothing to cure him. And it made her want to weep. 

Each moon had been getting worse. She knew it would, Remus pretended otherwise but she could see it in his eyes each morning when she fetched him from the Shack. Back in first year he had barely had any injuries. They felt like a lot at the time but in hindsight, a few scratches and bruises here and there were laughable. He could walk back to the school, maybe even attend classes if the night had been short. But since then.. since then…

By second year, Remus was too exhausted to go back to the class. The scratches were more viscious, the scars deeper. The blood seemed to run thicker and more freely, soaking into the small bedsheets and blankets of the cot, refusing to stop even with the spells. She became afraid of what would happen if she didn’t get to the Shack quick enough when he changed back.

By third year he couldn’t make it to the cot after the transformations. Poppy would find him sprawled out on the floor where he changed, claw marks and fingernails dug into the wood around him. He needed to be carried to the hospital wing. 

In fourth year, his bones started dislocating. The growth spurt meant Remus’s body was already too out of proportioned but with his skeleton rearranging every month, his bones never knew where to put themselves. Even between moons he was limping, slowing down when he walked, joints clicking back into place with every step. He was only 14. 

Each year seemed to get more and more violent that Poppy couldn’t imagine how much worse it could get. And each year she was surprised she didn’t see the next stage coming. This year the bones weren’t just dislocating, they were breaking. 

The bones she could fix quick as a flash. A cracked collar bone, dislocated shoulder and a few bruises are nothing to a mediwitch with basic healing spells.  
But how long was Remus lying there before she got to him? Did he break it at the start of the night? How long had the wolf been limping? Howling in pain? Did he have to transform back with a broken arm? Is that when the shoulder dislocated? How long ago had he lain there on the cold wooden floor, unable to move, with no one to call for help? 

And there was nothing Poppy could do, only wait for the moon to set and help him when it was over. Knowing that she would have to watch him go through it again in 28 days, knowing that no matter how much she cured him, helped him, comforted him, he’d have to suffer it all again in 28 days.  
And there was nothing anyone could do. 

It made her weep. 

__________________________________________________________

This moon had been particularly bad. He was barely conscious when she arrived in the morning. He was still in the main room downstairs where she had left him the previous evening. 

That was the first sign. She usually found him curled near the barricaded front door, as though the Wolf had wanted to escape. To find him lying sprawled in the centre of the house was an anomaly. 

Remus lay still, face down in the centre of the room, his arms splayed out in front of him. The wooden floorboards surrounding him were splintered, deep gouges scratched into the wood at all angles. Blood trickled steadily down his arms and neck from shallow grazes, as though he had been itching furiously at his skin. One side of his face was bruised and there was a tooth missing from his lower jaw. His left hip was dislocated again, as was his left knee. His calves and feet has been subjected to the same furious itching of his arms and shoulders. 

His breathing was shallow and laboured as Poppy ran over to him. His eyes flickered slightly when she knelt over him and he coughed, clearing a wad of mucus from his throat.

“Shh dear, you’re ok now.” She muttered the same thing every morning, only half believing it to be true. 

She was a healer, so she healed him, fixing the hip, the knee, replacing the tooth and fingernails. His rib had cracked so she healed that too and heard the breathing even out. But she could not stop the pain. 

“…Couldn’t…” Remus’s voice was thick and heavy. 

“Shh dear, you’re ok now”

“… Couldn’t—” He murmured again before dropping into unconsciousness. Poppy had to summon a stretcher. 

_________________________________________________________________

The evening after the full moon, Remus was still in the hospital wing. It was late but Poppy had never needed a lot of sleep. Some would say she worried too much, but if her worrying was what helped others then she failed to see the problem. 

It was late. Dark outside and well after curfew. Poppy’s ward was silent aside from the heavy breathing of sleeping patients. She circled the beds, clearing side tables, leaving out potions and marking patient sheets. 

It was the last bed, the one hidden in the corner behind the curtain that made her stop. 

“Mr Black!”

The dark haired boy leapt to his feet at the sound of his name, his eyes flying open and a red patch visible on his cheek where he had clearly been sleeping on his hand. 

“What on earth are you doing in my hospital wing at this hour of the night!?”

“I came to see Remus.” He said, blinking furiously trying to focus his eyes through the dim light. 

“It is gone midnight Mr Black, there is no need to be visiting patients at this hour!”

“He wasn’t in class today.” Sirius said, “I wanted to make sure he was ok.”

“You know well how he was when you visited at 5pm this evening. You are not to be sneaking around the school after hours.”

Poppy stood aside, clearing a way to the door. “You should go back to your dormitory Mr Black.”

Sirius didn’t move, one hand on Remus’s bed. 

“Mr Black I do—”

“It was a Lunar Eclipse last night!” Sirius blurted out. “It.. There was an eclipse and I wanted to make sure Remus was ok…”

Poppy froze. Despite the secrecy and warnings surrounded Remus’s condition, it was no surprise that his band of cohorts were aware of it. It had simply been an unspoken truce within the hospital ward. The boys had never mentioned why they were at the hospital wing at the crack of dawn and Poppy had never asked how they knew where he was going to be, nor why they were never surprised by Remus’s condition. 

But now Sirius Black had broken that truce. Remus’s secret was, therefore, officially out. Which meant, officially, she should go tell Dumbledore that students knew there was a werewolf in the school before parents found out. And officially, Dumbledore should remove the werewolf from the school for the school’s safety. 

Which meant removing Remus from Poppys’ care. Which would certainly not be happening. 

She hadn’t cured him yet. 

“Come with me, Mr Black.”

Sirius stayed frozen; his knuckles white as he clutched the sheets on Remus’s bed. Poppy sighed. 

“Just to my office, I don’t want to wake the other patients. There are trigger spells on all the beds. If he wakes, I will know, and you can come back here. Until then, it’s best he is left to sleep.” She gestured again to her office. “Come on, or I shall have to admit you for paralysis.”

Sirius gave one last glance at Remus before releasing the beds and heading for the Matrons office. He had never been in here before but it was homey, calming, with two large armchairs in front of a warm smoldering fire. 

“Sit” she said, and Sirius did, perching himself on the edge of the left armchair. A thick, deep mug of steaming tea was thrust into his hands. 

“I never liked china cups,” the Matron said, pouring her own generous mug of builders’ tea, “You need a proper Irish mug to really get the full healing benefits of a good brew.”

Sirius smiled and took a sip as the Matron sat down opposite. “Now, what were you saying about an eclipse?”

Sirius swallowed and lowered the mug. There was not much point explaining how he knew, or for how long. Neither of them needed to know the answers to that. So he just got to the point. 

“There was a Lunar Eclipse last night. It started from 7pm and hit a full eclipse around 10pm. The moon was fully covered for only 40 minutes but overall, from start to finish it lasted about 5 hours.”

Poppy took a large gulp of tea before answering. “Professor Sinistra has been talking about it. I’ll admit I was particularly worried about Remus, there’s been partial eclipses while he’s been in my care but he usually comes out of them about the same as normal. The full eclipses seem to miss term time.”

Sirius met her eyes. He had never spoken to anyone else about Remus, not like this. He’d spoken to James and Peter but they knew as much as he did so neither were any help. Remus rarely talked about his condition openly, only giving vague facts when asked. Sirius never pushed him although there were questions that burned his tongue. 

“Did he say anything to you? Prior to last night?”

Sirius snapped back to reality, taking another swig of tea. “Not really. Remus doesn’t like to talk about it much. But I remember mentioning eclipses to him back when we did them in Astronomy back in se—”

Madam Pomfrey coughed pointedly, but Sirius took the hint. The less either of them knew about how much the other knew of Remus’s secret the better for both of them. The better for Remus. 

“Back when we did moon cycles.” Sirius corrected. “He probably doesn’t remember, it was late and we were coming back from a midnight Astro class, he was exhausted. But I asked him about eclipses, and he said ‘The change comes with the moon. No moon, no wolf’. I think that means that when there is an eclipse, when the moon is hidden away the change can’t happen. Or it un-happens. I read a story, it’s a fairytale but it was the closest thing I could get to for information.”

Sirius paused and looked up at the Matron who was eyeing him carefully. “People don’t want to publish anything written by a werewolf,” she said, the bitterness seeping through her voice. “And quite often, people are reluctant to share true stories, especially when revealing those truths makes them the villain.”  
“But how is anyone supposed to learn!?”

Poppy sipped her tea again. “People often don’t want to, especially when they think they are old enough already know it all.”

Poppy made a point to not hear the curses muttered by the boy into his tea, though she could not help but agree with them. “Go on Mr Black, the fairytale.”

Sirius, still scowling, looked up and continued. “There was this story about a village being plagued by a werewolf, and the village didn’t know what to do. So one night, on the full moon, all the villagers came together and used a spell that blocked out the moon. When the moon was covered, the werewolf transformed back into a man and then the village people…--” He trailed off, not needing to voice the ending. 

“I think, when the moon is covered, he is forced to transform back, even though it’s a full moon. Which means tonight, since moonrise was at 6pm, the eclipse didn’t start until 7pm and end till 1am, then moonset at 5am, Remus would have transformed 4 times in one evening. I don’t know how it works really because there’s no recorded accounts but from what I gather, Remus would have only been fully changed back during the full 40 minutes of the total eclipse. So during the other 5 hours of the partial eclipse…”

“He would have been stuck mid transformation, not fully in either form…” Poppy finished for him, setting down a mug with shaking hands. “Oh that poor child…”  
A silence fell over them, neither willing to say anything, both trying desperately not to picture the sight of a werewolf cursed halfway between two forms. Poppy was thinking back to previous partial eclipses, Remus had always been more scratched that usual. Those long rashes and grazes down his arm indicating someone who had been tearing at their skin as though trying to tear it off. 

She stood up and walked steadily over to the safe hidden behind the dresser. Tapping her wand on the crack in the wall, the space opened up and Poppy hauled out a heavy book filled with scrap papers and folded charts. She brought it back over to the table where Sirius eyed it curiously. 

“Don’t ask any questions,” she said warningly. “There are no true accounts of werewolves published you are correct. And there won’t be, not at least until 1978.”

“But Remus will be out of school by then!” Sirius said alarmed. 

“Exactly,” The Matron said pointedly, looking into the boy’s eyes and trying to convey a message that couldn’t be spoken aloud. She had of course been documenting everything she learned about werewolves. Every salve that helped, every concoction that failed, every treatment that seemed helpful, nights that were worse, ages that symptoms changed. Despite not being able to tell, she was without doubt the countries leading expert on Werewolf Treatments. But she wouldn’t be able to publish her findings until Remus was well out of school and nothing could be traced back to him and how Poppy had come to learn these tricks. Even the publishing would need to be anonymous. So despite her work, Poppy would never be credited.

And while it annoyed her that the answer to Remus’s problems lay somewhere in this huge folder of notes and observations and she could do nothing to further the study. Couldn’t ask another Healer for advice or Auror for insight. She couldn’t help Remus from this side of the folder. 

And it pained her that one day, she would have to give it up to the world with no name or origin and just hope that someone saw the value in it that she did. Someone, somewhere would find a cure to help tame the wolf. 

But she would. Because she made a promise that she would cure every patient that came through those doors. And Godric be damned if she wouldn’t cure a werewolf as well!

Sirius still looked confused but as requested, didn’t ask any more questions. He only looked on as Poppy opened the folder revealing a chart of moon phases, each with tabled notes, symptoms, appearances and diagrams. He followed her finger to the column labelled ‘Lunar Phenomena’ and down to the row titled ‘Full Cover’.

“Now Mr Black,” She said, her voice adopting the stern but guiding voice of a seasoned Healer. “What is it that we have learned about total eclipses?”


	10. Mid 5th Year - Telling Remus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short rehash of the Marauders telling Remus what they plan to do with their new found animal instincts. He takes it rather well over all.  
> Mostly just a set up to the next story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, Request. Go enjoy life!

Saturday 7th February 1976

“You lot are mental.”

“We’ll that’s insulting, I thought we were quite clever.”

“You cannot seriously want to come in with me?”

“You’re right, we just spent a year and a half trying to become animagi because it was more fun than History homework.”

“You’re mental.”

“If we agree with you will you stop telling us?”

“You’re completely mental…”

Remus was pacing around the room, not knowing where or what to do with his hands and periodically throwing them over his head as though trying to wave away persistent nargles. The other three boys were sitting on Sirius’s bed, watching him patiently. They had broken the animagus achievement to Remus a few days after his last moon.  
He had taken it about as well as you could take the news that your three best friends could now transform into woodland creatures at will. 

Once he had stopped hyperventilating and was able to string together sentences that were more than one-word questions it had actually been ok. He was proud of them really. Annoyed that they had done all this behind his back, but he supposed that now they all had a big secret. An animal inside them they had to hide from everyone. For the first time in his life he wasn’t the only person hiding a part of himself. It was amazing… And terrifying…

Although James couldn't help notice that Remus had been looking at them all slightly differently ever since, as though looking for stray scraps of fur or a hidden tail.  
It was only now, a whole evening after the initial reveal, that Remus seemed to have calmed down enough for the boys to explain to him the real reason why they became Animagi. 

And naturally Remus was also taking this news well. 

Or as well as you could take the news that your three best friends spent two years becoming illegal, unregistered animagi in order to sneak out of school and into a small enclosed space with a rabid werewolf.  
He wasn’t yelling at them? So that’s a positive? 

“…Mental. Totally and completely and utterly—”

“Mental yeah yeah you’ve said Remus for Godrics sake will you sit DOWN you’re wearing a hole in the carpet!”  
Sirius grabbed Remus by the elbow and shoved him down onto James’s bed opposite the other two boys. 

“We know it’s mad. But we’ve thought of this. We’ve done the planning. We’ve spent the last two years planning it. We’ve done the research. Werewolves can only bite and infect humans. When we are in Animagus form, we are no longer human. There’s been countless studies on human diseases on Animagi and its always the same, the animagi form is only susceptible to animal diseases, not human diseases. And yeah fine, no one has ever tested this theory on a werewolf bite, it makes sense- SHUT UP REMUS!- it makes sense that the same logic would apply.”

Sirius was leaning over Remus, using his hands to pin the boy to the bed by his knees so he couldn’t get up and start pacing again. Sirius’s eyes bored into Remus, daring him to argue. Had he been in dog form, his hackles would have been raised.

Remus opened his mouth to argue but closed it again when Sirius threatened to growl.

“He’s right Mooney.” James said quietly, putting a warning hand on Sirius’s shoulder. “It’s safe, we promise. We wouldn’t be saying it if we weren’t sure. We wouldn’t do that do you.”

Remus looked up this. James met his eyes, hoping that his smile was as reassuring as it needed to be, letting Remus read his face. 

He could tell Remus didn’t trust them, and as much as it hurt James he understood why. They could control themselves in the animal state, they were of no threat to anyone. But Remus couldn’t even remember the Change let alone control it, and if something went wrong… Remus would be putting all of his trust in them, every scrap of trust he had into his three best friends because he couldn’t trust himself. Trust that they would be smart enough not to get hurt, trust that they wouldn’t put Remus in danger, trust that their opinion of him wouldn’t change when Remus did.  
It was a lot to ask of someone.

Remus still wasn’t saying anything. 

Sirius stood up, unpinning Remus from the bed and going back to sit opposite him. James followed, the three boys sitting on Sirius’s bed just waiting for Remus to say something. 

It took a while, but eventually Remus broke the silence. 

“What if we don’t all fit…?”

“Fit?”

“In the shack?”

Peter let out a snort. “Ok, fair we didn’t think of that.” They all looked at each other grinning but none knowing the answer.

“Well how big is it?” James asked. They honestly hadn’t considered this. Sirius had talked about all 4 of them exploring the forest during a moon but it made sense that they should probably start small and make sure they could control Remus before letting him loose on the grounds. 

Remus shrugged at the question and gestured around the room. “I dunno, the ground floor is probably about as big as the common room? Maybe a little smaller and with lower ceilings? There are other rooms and an upstairs but I’ve never been in them when I’m… - I think I woke up in bedroom once but that was only half the size of the dorm.”

“Well that’s not too bad?” James said, trying to visualise a stag next to the common room couches. 

“Can you even fit through a doorframe Prongs?” Peter asked, his eyes slightly glazed as though he was also mentally putting stags into different corners of the room.  
“Yes!” James said indignantly, “I’d just have to… tilt my head a bit…”

Sirius sat up smiling, clearly glad that Remus was coming around to the idea. “Well why don’t we go down to the shack now? We can all change down there and size it up?”

“NO!” Remus yelled suddenly, his eyes wide and the colour draining from his face. “No, you- I can’t—” he stammered helplessly.  
“Hey hey, its cool!” Sirius’s smile dropped off his face and he moved over to Remus, throwing a comforting arm over his shoulder. 

“I… It’s just… I don’t think I could go in there when it’s not…when I’m not…”

“Hey, we get it.” Sirius said softly. He glanced up at James, not knowing where to go from here.

“It’s ok Remus. There’s no reason for us all to go anyway right?” James was thinking on fly but Remus had been right, they probably should make sure that the Shack would comfortably fit them all without them getting hurt. “Me and Wormtail can go down? Peter can see if he can hit the knot on the tree like McGonagall does and I can go make sure I don’t get my antlers stuck in a doorframe. Besides, stags don’t like enclosed spaces, it’s probably better if I change once there by myself before we try with everyone.” 

He caught Remus’s eye. “Just to be sure. Just to make sure we’re safe. We’re all safe. Is that ok Remus?”

The colour still hadn’t fully returned to Remus’s cheeks but he nodded slowly. 

“Excellent! Padfoot, run down and clear the common room so we can sneak out without being tailed by a prefect. Ready Wormtail?”

“I’ll grab the cloak!” Peter said, rushing off to rummage in James’s trunk. 

“James.” Remus caught James’s arm, whispering to him. “The Shack… its not exactly… Im not exactly… Just please don’t think any less of me when you see it ok?”  
Remus’s eyes were fearful, full of shame and guilt. James wanted to hug his friend but he knew the gesture wouldn’t be appreciated so instead he opted for grabbing his shoulder. 

“We never have Remus.”


	11. Mid 5th Year - James in the Shack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James explores the Shrieking Shack alone and learns what it really means to be cursed with Lycanthropy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING:  
> This chapter contains quite graphic descriptions of the Shrieking Shack.  
> There is mentions of blood.  
> Implied references to violence.  
> The Shrieking Shack is used as essentially a prison for Remus during full moons. We are aware of how injured and torn up Remus can be after full moons. This chapter explores what that prison looks and feels like. 
> 
> It's a very angsty chapter. You don't have to read it if you don't want to.  
> As always, you are the most important person in your life.  
> Take care of yourself first. 
> 
> And as always, Comment. Request. Go enjoy life!

Saturday 7th February 1976 

James had often thought of Remus during full moons. Never with fear. Just with pity, sorrow for his friend who suffered from an incurable illness. But coming up into the Shrieking Shack, seeing the place where Remus went each month, suddenly James realised how naive he had been… 

He knew the logistics of Lycanthropy. He had done enough research and reading since discovering Remus’ secret that he was well aware of the signs, the traits of a werewolf, the transformation procedure. Objectively, he knew what Remus went through each month. 

He knew that to be infected, Remus would have been bitten by a werewolf. Remus had told him that this happened when he was 5 years old and he was bitten on his upper left hip. James knew objectively that that must have hurt. James had been bitten by his neighbour's dog when he was 4. Just a small nip on his ankle. He had cried while his mum cleaned the wound, magicked it shut and put a plaster on it just for good measure. He was back playing fetch by the evening. Truthfully, he could barely remember it. 

Objectively, he knew that Remus transformed into a wolf once every Lunar Cycle. And after seeing Sirius transform into Padfoot and feeling himself transform into Prongs, he had better understanding of how that change occurred. He could understand how Remus’s arms and legs would need to change to accommodate a wolfs shape, what it felt like to have long, stretched head and tail. Animagus transformations felt odd, but they didn’t hurt. 

Objectively he understood that becoming a werewolf did hurt. He had seen Remus in the hospital wing after transformations with new bandages on his arms and torso, dark purple bags staining his eyes, smiling politely as he leaned heavily on his pillow looking more exhausted than James had ever felt in his life. Books had told him that the Change was reminiscent of the Cruciatus Curse. A curse he knew as the Torture Curse. He knew that the curse hurt a lot. Although James had never experienced anything close to torture, nor could he imagine what it would feel like. 

James had always thought he understood what Remus went through when really, all James understood was that Remus went missing one evening a month and the next morning appeared in the hospital wing, safe and wrapped in bandages, well cared for with a practiced, polite smile on his face. 

James couldn’t possibly imagine what Remus went though in the in-between hours. 

Looking around the Shrieking Shack for the first time, James felt the blissful naivety fall away from him like rain. 

The air was thick with damp, a musty iron smell hung in from the low ceiling like a fog. As his eyes adjusted, he found himself in a large room, mostly barren save for a small white bed in the far corner. The sun had yet to set but the room was dark, the windows heavily boarded causing the last of the light to cut across the floor like knives. James put his hand out to climb out of the tunnel and felt his a sharp sting in his palm.

The floor was littered with splinters, thick jagged shards of wood that would cut your feet open if you weren’t wearing shoes. Every inch of the floor was crisscrossed with deep, jagged claw marks, rivets that seemed to break the boards in two. The walls had suffered the same fate. The little wallpaper left was peeling in places, the rest torn to shreds as though something large was trying to literally dig through the wood to the outside. 

James’ moved unconsciously into the room, not thinking where his feet were taking him. He could barely blink, his heart was pounding in his chest as his eyes raked the scene in front of him. He found himself kneeling in the centre of the room, his fingers tracing along four ragged score-marks in the floorboards. 

He had seen drawings of werewolves, some as full wolves, some mid transformation. There were even a few blurry photos taken of a large shadow racing through a dense thicket of trees. 

But drawings and photographs could never give you scale. James splayed out his hand, trying to stretch his fingers to fit into each of the grooves. 

How big would a paw have to be to make these? 

He ran his hands down, tracing out each of the marks around him. He noticed that some of them were smaller than others, shallower too. 

His heart caught in his chest as he remembered that Remus had been coming here since his first year. Since he was 11. James’ memory whirled back to one afternoon in June, the four of them messing around by the lake just after the first year exams. Remus had just gotten out of the hospital wing and was sitting on the shore, the water lapping at his trouser leg as he threw stones at Sirius trying to splash him with water. Remus was laughing. 

They hadn’t known why he was always sick back then. The night before, had Remus been locked up in here? All alone? How had he not told anyone? 

How on earth had he been able to laugh the next day? 

How had they not noticed? 

James was struggling not to heave… 

He tore himself up off the floor and stumbled towards the cot in the corner. It was hauntingly pristine sitting in such a derelict room. No pillow or duvet like his bed back in the dorm, just a clean, heavy blanket tucked tightly into a thin mattress on a wire frame. This was not a bed intended to be slept on, more of a hospital bed, something to lie on that was softer than the ground. James’s mind was filled with images of Remus curled tightly in his duvet back in their bedroom, his blankets pulled tight to his chin and head buried in a mountain of soft pillows. He couldn’t imagine Remus anywhere else. 

Not here. 

Not on this cot. 

The wind whistled through the slats on window making the shack seem even emptier than it was. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon. James knew he’d need to get back soon. He was glad. 

He couldn’t wait to leave. 

He looked around the shack judging the space. The ground floor looked big enough for the 4 of them to transform in. There wouldn’t be a lot of space to run around but with Wormtail being so small and Padfoot being surprisingly agile, it’d do. James was the biggest, he needed to make sure that he could fit with enough room to manoeuvre around a werewolf. 

He stood up and closed his eyes, letting his Animagus form come to him. 

Even before he changed, he knew there was something wrong. He felt his body shift down into a stag, legs stretch, neck grow thick and strong, his head go heavy. His instincts exploded. 

And every one of them was telling him to run. 

The smell was overwhelming. Iron and salt were imbued into the wood, the scent of someone else’s territory. He was not supposed to be here, this was not his space. He could smell blood. So much blood in every crack and crevice of the room. Old blood, old scents. Whatever beast this house held, it had been here for a long long time. 

Prongs reared where he stood, restless, every instinct fighting to leave the tight room he found himself in. He could see tufts of fur caught on the splinters that his human eyes missed, see the blood that splattered and coated the wooden floor, the walls, the ceiling. Prongs could read the scratches in the floor. They spelled anger, something big was angry, frustrated, _furious_. Whatever it was, it hated this place. It was not its home, it was its cage, its prison. And Prongs was trapped in here with it. 

The James part of Prongs’ brain fought for calm, but his prey instincts were overwhelming. He was glad he had decided to do this alone first, this place was a horrifying nightmare. He couldn’t imagine how the Wolf felt being trapped in here again and again, month after month. Not being able to escape, to run. To be surrounded by the smell of fear and anxiety and anger. And the Wolf didn’t have the human ability to rationalise his surroundings. 

The Wolf didn’t have Remus. 

Remus. 

Prongs stopped, the panic subsiding just a fraction. There was another scent in the room, something beneath the smell of blood and iron. Something he recognised, that James recognised. He tried to pinpoint it to one spot but it was bigger than that. The scent was everywhere, lining every scratch and corner. 

It was a familiar scent, he felt it deep in his bones. Books and ink and wool and elderflower all wrapped in chocolate. 

_Herd_ , he felt his instincts tell him. _Herd._ That scent was someone he loved. Someone who belonged to him. Someone who needed protecting. 

And he was in pain. He needed to be saved. 

* * *

James didn’t remember shifting back into himself. He didn’t really remember running back down the tunnel and racing through the school towards the dormitories, Prongs’ instinct still hot in his veins. 

Without thinking, he found himself shoving his invisibility cloak into his pocket and crawling through the portrait hole to an almost empty common room. 

“Hey, how was it? Will we all fit?” 

James barely glanced at Sirius and Peter who were sprawled in front of the fire, evidently in the middle of a gobstones game. 

“Where’s Remus?” 

“Upstairs.” Sirius replied, looking worryingly at James. “He said he needed some space after our news, so we left him to it. Is everything ok?” 

James must have muttered something coherent because the two boys didn’t attempt to follow him as he raced up the stairs towards the dorm. 

Remus was finishing the last few buttons on his nightshirt. His bed was still pristine, he must have pacing since James had gone down to the willow. 

Remus jumped when James burst into the room. 

“James! Did you-? How was—OOF” 

James hadn’t broken stride. He crossed the room in three paces and pulled Remus into a fierce hug, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and holding him tight to his chest. 

“Prongs, what—” 

But James didn’t say anything. He just squeezed Remus tighter, balling his fists into Remus’ shirt. 

After a few seconds of bewilderment, he felt Remus tense beneath his arms. Then slowly relax into the embrace. 

James didn’t need to say anything. He didn’t need to say that he was sorry. Sorry for what Remus had to go through, for the pain he had to endure. Sorry for the fear, the anger, the confusion, the agony. He was sorry that Remus had to do it all alone, over and over again in a never ending cycle. He was sorry that he had never truly understood, never truly sympathised with his friend even after so many years of seeing him hurt. 

James couldn't even begin to articulate the sorrow and empathy that welled inside him, but he didn't need to. Remus could feel it. 

When they finally broke apart, James grasped Remus’ shoulders holding him at arms length. 

“We will fit.” James said looking fiercely at his friend. “You won’t be alone next time.” 

There was a fire in James’ eyes that even the gods would have bowed to. He would protect those he loved till his dying breath and Merlin save anyone who dares to defy that. 

Remus took a breath, reading James’ eyes, reading his face and unspoken words in the hug he had given him. 

When he finally spoke, there was something new in Remus’ voice. Something that had not been there before, something that Prongs had definitely not felt in the shack but something that he could feel now. Faint, but certain. 

Hope. 

“Ok.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note, I know in the last story I suggested that James and Peter went down to the Shack. When I wrote this I could only see James in it so I guess Peter went back to the dorm after hitting the knot on the Willow.
> 
> I'm not really going for continuity in these stories, just writing the little 'in between' moments that are usually left out of longer stories to make way for the plot. They're the fun parts I think. 
> 
> Anyhoo, go do something happy!


	12. Early 6th Year - No Transformations in the Bedroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nice craic filled chapter as a breather from all the angst!
> 
> A story about how the Marauders Dormitory gained one of its very few house rules.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, Request, Go Enjoy Life!

Tuesday October 4th 1976 

Lily read the essay as she climbed the stairs to the boys’ dormitory. It was good, really good. Better than she expected from the guy who spent most of his time scrubbing bedpans after hours. She hadn’t even thought of linking colour changing charms to transfiguration though he was right, charming was an arguably simpler way to achieve much the same result, especially if the change was non-essential, though an altered transfiguration spell was more reliable for anything long term. He had even gone into the use of alchemy and how the properties of a substance can be changed without the use of a spell at all, though that was arguably (and he did argue it) was probably more effort that it was worth if you just wanted to change the colour of someone’s trousers. Alchemy wasn’t even on the syllabus. 

The essay was excellent. And while Lily knew well that he was one of the brightest students in the year, quite possibly in the school, she was still surprised that such an elegant and well written piece of research had come out of the brain of James Potter; Hogwarts’ Troublemaker in Chief. 

“Hey Potter?” Lily called, knocking quickly before opening the door to the boys dorm, “Flitwick told me to give you back your ess-- What the hell are you doing?” 

The scene would have been alarming had it been involving anyone else but given the circumstances and people involved, she barely batted an eye. 

“EVANS!” James yelped, obviously startled at the intrusion. 

“Do I want to know?” She asked using the exasperated voice that only ever needed to be used with her male year-mates. 

“Permanent sticking charm!” Sirius said quickly. “For a prank.” 

“Where did you even get deer antlers from?” 

“Hagrid’s hut?” 

“Yeah! Halloween costume, thought it’d be funny.” supplied Peter. 

“Tadaa...” said James with a shakey smile and taking his hands down off the two enormous antlers protruding from his skull. Overbalanced by the enormous weight, James’ head immediately tilted to the side, one of the prongs getting tangled in the bed curtains. Sirius and Peter leapt up to catch a side each, taking the weight off James’ neck and keeping him upright. 

Lily didn’t even blink. She dropped the essay onto the nearest bed and turn to leave. 

“REEEMUS!!” she yelled down the stairs ahead of her, “THEY’RE YOUR PROBLEM YOU DEAL WITH IT.” 

“No don’t tell--!” Sirius called desperately but Lily had already left, slamming the door behind her. 

“Oh shit…” Peter muttered. 

When the door opened a second time, Sirius, James and Peter were all wearing the innocent smiles they usually reserved for teachers threatening a deserved detention. 

“What the actual fuck?” said Remus standing in the doorway staring wide eyed at the chaos in front of him. 

“It was Sirius’ idea!” said Peter quickly. 

“You sneak! Well it was James who did it!” 

“Yeah only because Peter dared me!” James said trying to kick Peter in the shins, losing his balance causing Sirius to yank him back upright. 

“SHUT IT!” Remus hissed, quickly closing the dorm door so no one else walked. “I don’t give a shit whose stupid idea this was!” 

“Yeah but it was Peters though…” Sirius muttered. Peter kicked him. 

“Did Lily see you like this!?” 

“Yeah but it’s fine, we told her it was a Halloween costume.” James answered as Remus walked around the trio, untangling James’ antlers from the drapes. 

“And she believed that!?” 

“Well what’s the alternative Moony? That James is secretly a giant deer, don’t be ridiculous.” Sirius said sarcastically. “Besides, from Lily’s perspective, permanently sticking antlers to his head is a very ‘James’ thing to do.” 

“Oy!” James complained, “What’s that supposed to mean!?” 

“It means she thinks you’re a moron mate.” Said Peter, still keeping James upright by the enormous antlers protruding from his head. 

“And she’s correct, you’re all bloody morons!” Remus snapped before James could reply. “What the fuck were you thinking! You’re an ILLEGAL animagus!? You can’t go turning into fucking woodland creatures in the dormitory!” 

“We weren’t turning into woodland creatures!” argued Sirius, “Peter dared James to try and just give himself the antlers.” 

“And as you can see,” said James with a mocking smile, “I succeeded!” 

Remus grabbed a book from the nearest bedstand and threw it at him. “Well get rid of them before someone else comes up here!” 

All three boys looked away awkwardly and began scuffing their shoes on the carpet. 

“Please tell me you can get rid of them…” Remus groaned. 

“Well,” Sirius began after a pregnant pause, “We know vanishing them doesn’t work so there’s that...” 

“You have got to be kidding me.” Remus rubbed his palms into his eyes. “Can’t you just, I dunno, suck them back in!?” 

“I’ve tried they won’t go back!” Said James. His neck was beginning ache from holding up his head. 

Remus groaned again. He had been having a such nice evening. The moon wasn’t for another 5 days, he was ahead on his transfiguration homework, he had just gotten an O on the Colour Charms essay from Flitwick and he was looking forward to a nice, juicy pork chop for dinner. It had been a stress-free afternoon! 

Though, now he thought about it, his friends had missed charms and they hadn’t been in the common room while he was working on transfiguration. His friends had been conspicuously missing for most of the afternoon. 

The correlation was alarming. 

“Have you tried turning fully into a stag then turning back?” Remus asked. 

“I thought you said ‘No turning into woodland creatures in the dormitory’?” Sirius smirked, raising his eyebrow. 

“Trust me, after this there’s going to be a very strict ‘No transformations in the bedroom’ rule but right now unless anyone has a better idea?” He looked around the bedroom expectantly and when none of the boys offered anything else, he gestured back to James. 

“Well go on then. I don’t see how it could possibly make thing worse.” 

Sirius and Peter glanced at each other. 

“We’ll let go on three right?” Sirius said to James. 

James nodded and bent his knees preparing to take the full weight of his antlers so the other two could dart out of the way before he changed. 

“Right Prongs, ready? One…Two… Three!” 

Sirius and Peter leapt back, each onto one of the opposing beds. For a second James stood there, swaying under the antlers. Then he bent over, his arms and legs stretching, his face elongating and a shiny brown coat covered his body. 

In less than 2 seconds, a giant stag with perfectly proportioned giant antlers materialised in the 6th year boys dormitory of Gryffindor tower. 

In case you aren’t aware, a messy, students’ dorm room with low ceilings, thick stone walls and four large four-poster beds does not have a lot of spare space to squeeze in a giant deer. 

As he changed, Prongs’ hoof landed on the book Remus had thrown earlier causing his leg to skid backwards. Prongs kicked out, trying to regain his balance. His back leg collided with the banister of Sirius’s bed, shattering the wood to splinters. There was a loud crash and the whole bed tilted and crashed to the floor, throwing Sirius of the side with a yelp. 

Startled, Prongs tried to turn around to see where the noise had come from. His antlers caught the curtains surrounding Remus’s bed and before Remus could stop him, Prongs yanked his head back, tearing the curtain rail off the bed and causing the drapes to wind themselves around Prongs’ head. 

Blinded by the curtains, Prongs reared back in a panic, shaking his head wildly trying to dislodge the curtains. His hooves were slipping on the flagstones and catching on the edge of the carpet. 

Remus leapt of the bed. “Help me!” He called to Peter who was standing at Prongs’ back end trying desperately not to get kicked by flailing hooves. 

“James, JAMES! PRONGS! Calm down!!” Remus somehow grabbed the fabric around the stag’s antlers and pulled, holding his head down to stop the deer rearing back. 

“Stop moving! You’re destroying the room!” 

Prongs heard him and stopped struggling. Remus untangled the curtains from his antlers and looked the stag in the eye. 

“Can you turn back now please before you completely ruin the furniture?” 

The stag nodded and Remus took a step back. Prongs melted back until James stood in the centre of the room. His hands flew to the top of his head. 

“Are they gone!!?” 

“WHAT IN GODRICS NAME ARE YOU DOING IN THERE!” There was a loud hammering on the door and Graham Ledger, a burly 7th year prefect barged into the room. “IT SOUNDS LIKE A HERD OF BLOODY ELEPH—” He froze, staring at the absolute carnage in front of him. 

Peter was cowering on his bed, his hands still raised in front if him. Remus stood in front of his bed in holding the tattered drapes in his arms, the curtain rail broken and hanging wonky from one side. Sirius was lying on the floor beside the pile of wood and splinters that used to contain his mattress. The floor was littered with torn books and scraps of parchment and the rug in had been kicked and balled into the fireplace. 

Graham looked around at each of the boys, James still had his hands on his head. They all smiled innocently back at him. 

He pointed a finger at Remus. 

“They’re your problem.” He said sternly. “You deal with it.” And with that, Graham turned and shut the door behind him. 

All four boys exhaled a sigh of relief. 

“I swear Dumbledore just made me a prefect to punish me…” Remus muttered, hurling the ruined drapes down onto his bed. 

“So…” James said, glancing at the wreckage around him. “No transforming into woodland creatures in the dormitory?” 

“Agreed.” 


End file.
